overnight in parking bays

Submitted: Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 13:38
ThreadID: 139586 Views:9569 Replies:11 FollowUps:7
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Reply By: OBJ - Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 16:25

Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 16:25
Great, and about time. I always like to think that the truck driver driving up behind me is alert and has had plenty of rest, and can overtake me easily, rather than driving over me. Make sure it is policed and the fines stick.
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Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 17:23

Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 17:23
I suggest that this problem highlights a lack of appropriate options for people in light vehicles.
Like toilets. If none are available, people will sh!t somewhere else.
Two things are certain...
1. People will sh!t.
2. Travelling people will stop somewhere overnight.
Banning either will have zero effect. If we want light vehicles to avoid truck stops we need to provide sufficient alternatives that satisfy these travellers. It is not rocket science.
Cheers,
Peter
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Follow Up By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 11:43

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 11:43
Peter
The Arrawarra rest area was mentioned in our local rag with 'move on' notices being a possibility.
There is aways a mix of heavy articulated , roof tops, campers etc overnighting there.
The local rag stated they should find accommodation locally. In your dreams they are booked out and travellers are in rest stops because of that.
I went past the rest stop at 4:30 yesterday and it was empty.
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Reply By: tim_c - Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 17:24

Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 17:24
Obviously something needs to be done to allow drivers of heavy vehicles to rest adequately, but this appears to be a poorly considered knee-jerk response.

I fully understand and appreciate the need to prevent light vehicles from taking up heavy vehicle resting areas - there are only limited spaces you can park a large vehicle, and the driving hours are so rigid that a driver of a heavy vehicle at the end of their driving hours does not have the flexibility to spend extra time looking for an alternative parking area.

However, this proposed reaction to the problem risks instead putting light vehicle drivers at risk of fatigue (you can't really function properly on only 4 hours rest overnight). A driver of a light vehicle who falls asleep while driving and wanders into oncoming traffic will still cause trauma (even if perhaps not quite as much as a heavy vehicle might).

It's been similarly unworkable in Victoria for many years - drivers are constantly hammered the message of the need to stop and rest, yet the rest areas have restrictions that prevent drivers from being able to rest adequately, and we don't all want to stop in motels which would mean being be restricted by, usually, the need to book in advance, arrive by certain times, etc. (and if you're a tourist spending money hiring a campervan, you probably expect to be able to sleep in it).

Interestingly, the proposal is to restrict overnight parking for vehicles under 12t, yet if I drive a mini-bus in a professional capacity (GVM around 5t), I am still required to comply with the professional driving hours, even though the vehicle is well under 12t.
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Follow Up By: Dave(NSW) - Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 19:31

Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 19:31
A mini-bus can park any where in town, in back streets or van parkes & some show grounds, trucks arn't allowed to park on streets with curb & guttering & steet lights, fridge vans , stock crates & dangerous goods cant park in towns
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Reply By: CSeaJay - Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 17:43

Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 17:43
High time I say.
And in my opinion should be double the fine value
and should socalled "move-on" power, but by the truck driver to move -on RV's parked there - WITH THEIR BULLBARS!
CJ
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Reply By: Michael H9 - Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 18:24

Friday, Jan 24, 2020 at 18:24
I thought most highways in the state have rest areas clearly marked as truck only, and they also have rest areas for other vehicles. Caravans pulling up in the truck rest areas are doing the wrong thing and deserve a ticket.
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Reply By: Mikee5 - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 09:20

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 09:20
Ironic that this is in NSW, where if towing a caravan you get tolled as a truck, then can't park in a truck stop. Two bob each way for revenue.
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Follow Up By: Member - Blue M - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 14:37

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 14:37
Bit like your 13 year old kid is paying an adult fare on the bus/train or plane , than when you both get to the pub he can't have a beer with you because he is still a kid.
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Follow Up By: Member - DOZER - Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 at 15:26

Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 at 15:26
$80 a night for a spot in the caravan park...and they wonder why ppl find free camps....reminds me of tip feesm caravan rego costs etc in NSW
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Reply By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 10:53

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 10:53
We do a fair amount of free camping and because we still choose to use a roof tent we don't tend to use roadside stops for overnight stays for noise, dust and safety concerns where as a caravan or mobile home would not have those issues. In NSW there are rest stops for trucks only that are probably strategically located for their compulsory breaks, so it seems fair that they should only be used for trucks. We have noticed that a lot of truck stops don't have toilets or any facilities either.
NSW has a lot of rest areas for motorists but many are no designed nor intended for overnight stays. Generally if it has a proper fireplace, it will be signed as an overnight stop. That photo in Dave's post above is a blatant abuse of truck parking bays and those people should be fined. A little planning and something like EO Traveller or Wiki Camps that we use is all that is needed to find a decent spot to camp and keep everyone happy. If you cant find something that suits that's free, you have to be prepared to pay for a Caravan or National Park as we do. regards Michael
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Follow Up By: Member - silkwood - Sunday, Jan 26, 2020 at 07:58

Sunday, Jan 26, 2020 at 07:58
Apparently the photo in the link is of an area where the overnighters were directed to by police, owing to overcrowding during a festival. Apparently (I say this because it was reported as such in the media) there was signage indicating this, the truck driver who took the images was annoyed they had done this.

Whilst not negating the discussion on the issue, perhaps this is an unfair representation of the problem. Not unusual when media does not follow up prior to reporting.
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Follow Up By: tim_c - Friday, Jan 31, 2020 at 11:27

Friday, Jan 31, 2020 at 11:27
Festival or no festival, the truck driver still has to have the mandatory rest breaks. I wonder if any alternative was provided for truck drivers when the police (those same people responsible for enforcing truck drivers' rests) commandeered the truck driver resting area?
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Reply By: Stevemac - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 12:41

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 12:41
Doesn’t help that on some busy routes there are little or no rest stops. From Yelgun, heading north, you have to travel a good three hours until you come to a rest area of any sort. Must be one of the busiest stretches in the country, yet really inadequate facilities. Yelgun is a relatively new stop, built to fulfil the purpose but now you’d be lucky to find a spot at the end of a day’s drive.
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Reply By: GerryG - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 12:51

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 12:51
The problem with Yelgun is the number of back packer vans and cars there most nights. They've been chucked out of near by Byron Bay and all the small coastal spots in this area because most of these small camper vans don't have toilets or showers built into them. So you can guess how the back packers deal with it, before they were banned from just parking anywhere they could fit.
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Reply By: Member - Racey - Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 14:27

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 at 14:27
I can understand the need for truck drivers to access to designated parking spots and I have witnessed inconsiderate Rvers parking either where or how they shouldn't. The restriction to a 4 hr rest period is another issue. Call me synical if you must, but I can't help felling this is a case of the caravan park owners pushing the the issue with government and trying to force everyone you use their parks.

They must learn to realise there are two basic types of traveller (C/van or M/home), those who will stay in C/van park only and those who don't, or when it suits. If we are all forced to stay in C/parks there will be less travellers resulting in the small town businesses missing out.
AnswerID: 629708

Reply By: Pepper - Monday, Jan 27, 2020 at 20:02

Monday, Jan 27, 2020 at 20:02
Could we not have boom gates erected at both ends of truck parking areas preventing access by others..

These boom gates can have sensors that recognise heavy vehicle number plates and only open for heavy vehicles etc..

This is already done to issue parking fines in public car parks and public street to issue parking fines ..

Just a thought..
AnswerID: 629756

Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Monday, Jan 27, 2020 at 21:31

Monday, Jan 27, 2020 at 21:31
For the cost of installing and operating boom gates, we could have an empty space for 100 light vehicles instead.
If the "problem" is addressed, there is no need for policing.
Cheers,
Peter
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